La Brea rolls out electric delivery trucks in L.A.

May 17, 2012
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by Eric Schroeder

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LOS ANGELES — La Brea Bakery said it will roll out four new electric trucks in Los Angeles to deliver the bakery’s fresh baked loaves, rolls and baguettes.

“With L.A.’s dedication to becoming one of the greenest big cities in the nation, we’re excited to help do our part by introducing our four new electric delivery trucks,” said Ken Martis, director of logistics, La Brea Bakery. “Many of our customers today are concerned about the environment and are looking to work with suppliers who share this commitment to reduce their environmental impact and adopt sustainable practices.”

The trucks, designed by Smith Electric Vehicles Corp., generate zero tailpipe emissions and operate for up to 100 miles on a single charge. La Brea Bakery’s four trucks will travel a combined estimated 1,120 miles a week throughout Los Angeles county to more than 80 retailers and restaurants.

In March of this year, Frito-Lay North America, a unit of Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo, Inc., initiated a pilot program with Electric Vehicles International that includes using five E.V.I. medium duty trucks in northern California.

Describing the vehicle Frito-Lay is using, E.V.I. said its all electric powertrain is “seamlessly integrated into a standard Daimler Freightliner M2 business class chassis.” Benefits include significant fuel and maintenance savings. The vehicle has a 90-mile range, a top speed of 65 miles per hour and uses a 99kWh lithium phosphate battery system made by Valence Technology.

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